DISTRIBUTION:

Leucanella viettei (wingspan: males: 96mm; females: 93mm) flies in the arid Corillera of
western Peru in the Lima Region at elevations of 1800-2000m.

Leucanella viettei male, Peru, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Leucanella viettei female, Peru, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

This species is similar to nyctimene with overall shape and patterning and grey hindwings, but viettei is smaller, lighter and has the antemedial and postmedial lines bordered with a continuous, strongly contrasting white line. The discal spot is also outlined in contrasting yellowish-white.

Leucanella viettei male, Matucana, Lima, western Peru, courtesy of Hubert Mayer

Leucanella viettei female, Matucana, Lima, western Peru, courtesy of Hubert Mayer

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in April and November, suggesting at least two broods annually.

Leucanella viettei larvae probably will eat Ligustrum, although Bernhard Wenczel reports no success with Ligustrum, only with Salix, Rubus, amd Prunus.

Leucanella viettei female (copyright) courtesy of Jose Boettger.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

Leucanella viettei courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Relatively large white oval eggs are laid in clusters and larvae, which have urticating spines, feed gregariously.

The sturdy brown cocoon is probably leaf wrapped and affixed to a stem.

Leucanella viettei sixth instar larva copyright Kirby Wolfe

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Ligustrum ?? ...... Prunus Rubus Salix

Privet Cherry/Plum Bramble Willow

The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Leucanella" chosen by Lemaire in 1969. PERHAPS (pure speculation by Bill Oehlke) it was chosen for the "little light" spots surrounding the pupil in the type species leucane.

The species name "viettei" is probably honourific for Pierre Viette, sub-manager at the Laboratory of Entomology of the National Natural History Museum of Natural History of Paris.

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